Woodland Park Middle School
 
Newsletter
 
September 2008 
Greetings!
 
     Welcome to Woodland Park Middle School's first e-newsletter!  The e-newsletter is an effective, timely, and paperless way for our school to bring the community the latest news here at the Middle School.  Through this newsletter, we will share information on the great things our students and staff are accomplishing plus any important information about upcoming events or policy changes.  Effective communication is one of the most challenging aspects of creating a viable partnership with our parents and community.  It is our hope that this newsletter will further facilitate that partnership. 
 
     Parents! In addition to reading the newsletter, I would strongly encourage you to log onto Infinite Campus on a regular basis.  This is the primary communication tool for student grades and will allow you to have conversations with your child about past, current, and upcoming assignments.  You will also see the daily announcements, which give information on all the opportunities students have for extracurricular activities.  This is another chance to have a discussion with your child about what interests they have and how they might be able to pursue those interests.  There is a lot going on in this school so encourage them to get involved. 
 
     If you have any questions about the newsletter, Infinite Campus, or activities, please email or call us.  We look forward to the rest of the year and a strong partnership with all of you.

 
Sincerely,
John Jamison 
Principal
Woodland Park Middle School

TopIn this issue:

Communication: methods of communication available to parents
Parent Teacher Conferences: October 15th & 16th
Academic Assistance: Did you know the Middle School offers special academic assistance sessions for students every Tuesday and Thursday, as well as on scheduled Saturdays??
Announcements: Homework requests, phone messages, and parent volunteers. 
Box Tops for education: a fundraiser that does not require you to spend any additional funds or require much of your time!
WPMS Football: show your spirit and support the WPMS football teams.
Students of the Month: congratulations to our 14 students of the month!
Yearbook-8th Grade Baby Pictures: Would you like to see your 8th grader's adorable little baby face in the WPMS Yearbook?
 
Communicationcommunication
 Communication Information          
 
 
We have several communication vehicles available for parents:
 
1.      Our website:  http://www.wpsdk12.org/~WPMSWeb/
      Here you will find information about our school, links to
      Infinite Campus, staff e-mail addresses, and other helpful
      information.
2.      Student Agenda
      Every student is issued an agenda. The agenda includes the student handbook,
      spaces to record daily assignments, and hall pass pages. The agenda may also be
      used as a communication tool between parents and teachers.
3.      E-mail
      E-mail is the primary form of communication with teachers and staff. Staff e-mail
      addresses can be found on our website.
4.      Infinite Campus (click the link here, off the district website, or school website)
      Infinite Campus is our grading and attendance program. Announcements for parents
      and students are updated daily. Parents were given an activation key for the Parent
      Portal during registration.  In addition, the school offers training with the system during
      Parent/Teacher Conferences. 
 
As a reminder, your child's homeroom teacher remains the best point of contact on most all issues.  Please make sure connect with him/her or any other member of the staff when questions or concerns arise. 

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conferences 

Parent Teacher ConferenceParent Teacher Conferences are October 15th & 16th

Parent-teacher conferences will take place on Wednesday, October 15, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Thursday, October 16, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Parents should be receiving letters from the core team outlining the team's format for conferences.  With this notice, all parents will be asked to schedule a time to meet with the teachers or to indicate that they do not wish to meet at this time.  If you do not receive this notification by October 8, please
                               contact the front office to arrange for a time. 

1ST QUARTER REPORT CARDS 
            As a reminder, parents will need to access Infinite Campus to print first quarter report cards.  All quarter grades will be final by the end of Tuesday, October 14th.  To print a report card, log on to infinite campus. If you do not have an account set up or you cannot log into your account, please contact the front office for assistance.
1.      Log in
2.      Under your student's name, click "Reports"
3.      Click "Quarter 1"
4.      You may get a box that asks you if you want to open or save the file
5.      Click "open" and then print using the icon in the top left corner
World Map  Assistance
 
Academic Assistance

 
Did you know the Middle School offers special academic assistance sessions for students every Tuesday and Thursday, as well as on scheduled Saturdays?? 
 
Students are welcome to join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:50 - 3:35 PM in the library. Students are also invited to attend Saturday School from 9:00 to 11:00 AM every Saturday in the WPMS library.  (This month, the only Saturday that we do not meet will be October 18th.)  During these times, teachers are available to help students with assignments and projects.  In addition, special arrangements may also be made with individual teachers to make-up assignments or tests missed during absences.  Students may also work with teachers on skills or areas in which they need extra instruction.  WPMS teachers serve as supervisors for both after-school and Saturday sessions.  If you have further questions or concerns regarding these opportunities, please feel free to contact the middle school or any of its teachers.  
 
announcements
 
Announcements
 
HOMEWORK REQUESTS
Homework assignments may be requested by parents after the second day of their child's absence. When homework is requested, it will be available in the office between 3:00 and 3:30 p.m. Requests may be made by calling the front office at 686-2200 before noon.

PHONE MESSAGES
We understand that emergencies happen and that messages need to be delivered to your child during the school day. However, please discuss after-school plans with your child before he/she leaves in the morning. If there is a sudden change in those plans, we will do our best to get that message to your child. To allow time to get messages delivered, we ask that parents call before 2:00 p.m.  Thank you.
 
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
The Volunteer Program for WPMS is up and running for the 2008-09 school year. Thank you to all the parents and community members that have already signed-up to assist around the building. 
 
We still have a variety of openings available for volunteers.
  Opportunities include supervising our Successmaker computer lab, facilitating a lunch time book club, lending a hand with in-class Science experiments, helping aspiring actors/actresses with our upcoming drama production, or serving as a mentor for a student. 
 
If you are interested in volunteering one time or multiple times, please contact Tina Cassens at the Middle School. All volunteers within the building are asked to attend a short training and agree to the policies set forth by WPMS. In addition, the district does run a background check on all volunteers prior to placement. Over the previous years, thanks to the generosity of our parents and community members, the impact of this program has been phenomenal. 


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 CAP
 
Caring Active Parents (CAP)
 
We would like to thank all the parents that helped with CAP activities during this first month of school.  As we start into October, we would encourage parents to get involved with the CAP organization in support of WPMS!  Our next CAP meeting will take place on Monday, October 6, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Middle School library.  At this meeting will be hearing about the 21st Century program in place here at WPMS.  We will also learn about the recently formed district task force that will be setting a 21st Century vision for the Woodland Park School District.  At all CAP meeting, parents receive updates from each of the Leadership Teams here at WPMS, as well as upcoming CAP events.  
 
Our CAP group will be very active during the month of October.  If you are able to assist with any of the October activities listed below, please drop us an email at wpmscap@hotmail.com. 
           
 
October Activities:
October 6 - CAP Meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the WPMS library
October 13 - 14 - Health Screening all day WPMS
October 15 - Dinner for WPMS Staff during Parent-Teacher Conferences
October 21 - Student of the Month Breakfast sponsored by CAP and local restaurants
October 24 - CAP Halloween Dance 
 
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One 
 
boxtops4education     Box Tops for Education  boxtops4education 
 
Just hate fundraisers?  Here is one that does not require you to spend any additional funds or require much of your time...
 
WOODLAND PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL launches this year's
Box Tops Fundraiser
 
 WPMS is announcing the launch of their 2008-2009 Box Tops for Education fundraising campaign. This year the school has set a goal of earning $5000, through Box Tops, to fund scholarships, purchase die cuts and fund classroom projects.
 
'Box Tops for Education' is a school fundraising program started by General Mills in 1996. To date, Box Tops has helped America's schools raise over $250 million to buy the things they need but can't always afford, such as library books, school supplies and playground equipment. The Box Tops for Education program offers school supporters three easy ways to earn cash for schools through everyday activities such as buying groceries, shopping online and purchasing books. Schools can earn a total of up to $60,000 each year.
 
If you'd like to help the students at WPMS reach their goal, there are several easy ways to get involved:

· Clip Box Tops from hundreds of favorite products and send them to WPMS.
$20,000 is possible through this method alone!
 
· Sign up to support WPMS on the Box Tops website at btfe.com - only 58 individuals in the Woodland Park area are registered to support WPMS. For EACH new registration before December 8th WPMS will receive a bonus of 5 boxtops!!!
 
· Buy books once you've signed up, WPMS will earn a percentage of your purchases made online at Barnes & Noble through the Box Tops Reading RoomSM.
 
· Shop online once you've signed up, WPMS will earn a percentage of your purchases made through the Box Tops MarketplaceSM.
 
For more information, visit www.boxtops4education.com or contact Debie Metcalfe, Box Tops Coordinator, at dmetcalfe@wpsdk12.org.

 
 
 
Football TwoWPMS Football 
 
Support WPMS Football by purchasing a Panther card. Panther cards offer discounts at many Woodland Park businesses. Discounts can be used multiple times and are good for the entire 2008-2009 school year. Cards can be purchased for $10.00 from any WPMS Football coach. 
 
Want to show your spirit at the games? WPMS Football hoodies can be purchased for $20.00. This is a great deal for a football hoodie - especially with the cold weather coming.  All sizes are available. See Coach Alger for an order slip. 
 

Threepanther                           
Introducing the students of the month... 

WE ROAR!

These 14 outstanding students have been named by their teachers as Student of the Month because they demonstrated ROAR skills:   
 
6th grade: Kaitlyn Smith and Jenna Smith,
 
7th grade: Sheridan Decker, Mandy Matthews,
                 Tristan Macdonald, Courtney Cherico,
                  and Shawn Didde
 
8th grade: Shealie Browning, Elin Saxon, Eddie Allen,
                 Hannah Crosby, Isabella Fallon,
                 Samantha Hannapel, and Amanda Townley.
 
The Endzone team proudly nominates KAITLYN SMITH as our student of the month. She has demonstrated OWNERSHIP by keeping track of and turning in assignments on time, has a positive attitude about school, and is very helpful in the classroom.                                                                                                                            
The Fourteeners team proudly nominates JENNA SMITH as our student of the month.  Jenna has been an excellent example of ROAR behavior.  When her twin brother was absent, she took OWNERSHIP and collected his missing work and taught him the lessons from the day.  She displayed excellent RELATIONSHIPS skills in assisting her brother as well.
 
The All Star team would like to recognize SHERIDAN DECKER as our first student of the month. RESPECT & OWNERSHIP: Sheridan is always on time, prepared for all of her classes. She was absent earlier, yet still responsible in getting everything completed when she came back.  RELATIONSHIPS: Sheridan is supportive of her peers and teachers.
She is a true leader and we are so happy to have her on our team!!
Here's Team Integrity's (7th grade) student of the month: AMANDA (Mandy) MATTHEWS. Based on ROAR, this student earned the designation of Student of the Month because Amanda takes OWNERSHIP of her social and academic achievements.
 
Froot Loops (6th and 7th grade) proudly nominates seventh grader TRISTAN MACDONALD as their student of the month. Tristan has been very good at RELATIONSHIPS and showing maturity with his classmates.

The Catamount team (8th grade) proudly nominates SHEALIE BROWNING as our Student of the Month. She demonstrates OWNERSHIP and RELATIONSHIPS by taking initiative to create a positive, clean, safe classroom environment.  
The Zero Gravity team (8th grade) proudly nominates ELIN SAXON as our Student of the Month. She is always RESPECTFUL. She shows constant OWNERSHIP because she is very responsible. Elin demonstrates ACHIEVEMENT in sports, academics, and in Student Council. 
The Edge team (8th grade) proudly nominates EDDIE ALLEN as their student of the month.
Respect-Eddie is always respectful of adults and peers. Ownership-Eddie takes ownership for his actions and his grades.  He makes sure all work is completed to the best of his abilities and turned in on time. Achievement-Eddie keeps up with his grades and currently has straight A's.
Relationships-Eddie builds relationships with his peers.  He gets along well in groups and does well on collaborative assignments.
               
Elizabeth Barry (Computer Technology) recommends HANNAH CROSBY (8th grade.)  She demonstrates positive RELATIONSHIPS by helping other students in the classroom.  She shows amazing patience while working with students less fortunate than herself. She always has a positive attitude with all students and teachers in the classroom.   
Brian Critchlow (Instrumental Music) nominates ISABELLA FALLON (8th grade.) Isabella demonstrates OWNERSHIP and ACHIEVEMENT: She ALWAYS tries her hardest at anything she does. She is always smiling and positive. She does extra activities and does them well!
She is a joy to have in the classroom.

Sandra Martinez (Physical Education) nominates COURTNEY CHERICO (7th grade) for student of the month. Courtney demonstrates RELATIONSHIPS because she always supports other students in the classroom by having a positive attitude and going out of her way to help others.
  
Sean Pekron recommends SHAWN DIDDE (7th grade). He has exhibited the ROAR principles on a daily basis: RESPECT for himself and others shown daily, OWNERSHIP in our goals as a leader in academic games and classroom activities, ACHIEVEMENT by pushing himself each class to learn more of a second language, and he has demonstrated positive RELATIONSHIPS with both boys and girls as well as adults.
 
Bev Struck (Math and Reading Enrichment): SAMANTHA HANNAPEL (8th grade) demonstrates RESPECT every day in class by raising her hand to add to classroom discussions and not speaking out when others are talking. She has shown RESPECT and RELATIONSHIPS to her classmates when they needed something like supplies or answers. She has demonstrated OWNERSHIP by respectfully asking about her grades from time to time. She constantly tries hard to learn more each day.  
 
Kate Walters (Vocal Music) nominates AMANDA TOWNLEY.
Respect - Amanda is very graceful with her ability to communicate her ideas. Ownership - Amanda is attentive to details. She is dependable and responsible. Her ability to see a need and fill it is quite unique. Achievement - Amanda is always aware of new techniques and improves her musicality daily. Relationships - She is a good friend to those around her.  She is consistently positive. I look forward to seeing her every morning.  Instead of trying to stand out in a group, she tries to help the entire group improve.  Her behind the scenes style makes all of us better people!
  
Yearbook baby yearbook picture
8th GRADE PARENTS!
BUY BABY ADS TODAY!
Would you like to see your 8th grader's adorable little baby face in the WPMS Yearbook? Place a BABY AD today!
 
It's just $15 for a baby picture and $18 for a picture with a short message (twenty words or less please). Email Mrs. Parkhurst (jparkhurst@wpsdk12.org) or call 686-2200 for more details!
(Cash or check only.)
 
coupon 
Order your Yearbook
Today!
Yearbooks are $30 and $5 more if you would like an engraved name. Pre-order now!   
 
Yes! I would like to order a yearbook.
 
Student Name:_________________________________________
 
Homeroom teacher: _____________________________________
 
_____ I am enclosing $30 for a yearbook   
                   OR
_____ I am enclosing $35 for a yearbook with Student's name engraved.
Extra Yearbooks will not be available for purchase at the end of the year, so order yours today!
Prices good through First Quarter only, then the base price goes up to $35.